The Neptune Project (26 page)

WE HAVE TO TRAVEL SLOWER
than usual because we're all exhausted and because of Kalli's and Penn's injuries. Thom's eyes are almost swollen shut, but to my surprise, Lena stays right beside him and acts as his personal guide.

I can't help thinking about Dai as we kick tiredly through the sea. He hinted, more than a few times, that he came from a tough world. But could he really have been part of Wasp's gang? Was he working for them all this time? Why did he find our group and travel with us for so long? Who is Dai, really? And where did those kids come from? I hope my father will have some answers for us.

Midmorning, I ask Kalli, Thom, and Penn if they need to stop and rest for the remainder of the day, but Kalli replies promptly.
:We want to keep going. We don't want to run into that gang of mutates again.:
Thom and Penn nod firmly to show they're in agreement, and so we continue on.

A few hours later, Sokya rushes back toward me with three dolphins swimming beside her. The strange dolphins circle us curiously.

:more humans like you ahead, and they have dolphins!:


My blood begins to pound in my ears.
:Are they like us or like that other group?:


:they feel more like you,:
Sokya says confidently, but she always sounds confident.

I alert the rest, fighting to hide my growing fear, and we raise our spearguns just in case. Anxiously, we watch the water ahead. Out of the blue-green sea, six swimmers appear, wearing seasuits and carrying spearguns like ours. Six more dolphins keep pace in a tight formation around them.

A strong, stocky girl is swimming point. She stops just out of speargun range, and so do we. I can tell she's studying us all carefully, including Kalli and Penn and their bandages. The six dolphins surge forward and, moments later, the two pods mix joyfully and swim in dizzying patterns all around us.

:Our dolphins seem very happy to meet yours,:
the girl says in a guarded tone,
:but I still have to ask you to identify yourselves.:


:My name is Nere Hanson. These are my friends. We're looking for my father, Dr. Mark Hanson.:


The stocky girl lowers her speargun and grins.
:The doc's going to be glad to hear this news. We've been on the lookout for you for days now. Welcome to Safety Harbor!:


:Thanks,:
I manage to say, surprised by the large lump in my throat. I look at Thom, Penn, Robry, Kalli, Lena, Tobin, Bria, and Ree. We did it. We've finally reached my father's colony.

~ ~ ~

:The doc is topside doing some research in his boat. We can take you to him right now if you'd like,:
the girl is saying.

:That'd be great,:
I manage to reply.

As we swim, the friendly girl says her name is Janni, and then she introduces her companions. Most of their names just wash over me; I'm too busy thinking about my father. I'm so glad he's alive, but does he know about Gillian? What am I going to say to him after he lied to me about his death and changed my whole life? My stomach has started to twist and churn.

I'm vaguely aware that Lena has moved up beside me, and I'm grateful that she is introducing our group.

We surface near the bow of a small wooden boat. I look up and see my dad. He's busy working on a computer pad. My eyes prickle with tears. He's thinner than I remember, and his brown hair is long and shaggy.

“Hey, Doc, we brought you a present,” Janni tells him cheerfully.

My father turns toward us. His brown eyes light up at the sight of me. He stands and jumps right off the bow of his little boat, landing with an awkward splash that makes Janni and her companions laugh.

Moments later he engulfs me in a long, soggy hug. He smells like my dad, and he feels like my dad, and I hug him back as hard as I can.

“Nere, I'm so happy you made it. I'm so glad you're okay,” he says over and over again. We start sinking, and suddenly I remember he can't breathe water. I back away from him a little so he can use his arms to stay afloat.

The next moment, the dolphins are on us, Mariah leading the charge. They crowd closely around my father. He is not telepathic, but Mariah and her family have always loved him.

Our gazes meet across the backs of a dozen happy dolphins. “You know about Gillian?” I ask him, my eyes filling with tears.

A shadow crosses his face. “I do know. A trader got word to me.”

“I'm so sorry,” I say.

“I'm sorry, too,” he says, his voice gone rough. “She'd be so proud of you.”

As a daughter or as an experiment? I'm sure my mother the scientist would be proud of what I've done. I love my father, but I know he helped her to change me. Dad puts one arm around my shoulder and another across Mariah's back.

I sigh and lean in to him. For now, I'm just so, so glad to be here.

“You all must be tired,” Dad says, and smiles at my companions. “Come see your new home. I'm sure you have lots of adventures to tell us.”

His words remind me that I can't relax yet. I slip out from under his arm and turn to face him. “We ran into some bad trouble,” I say and explain what happened to us.

His face tightens as I speak, but it's clear he's not surprised by our news.

“Do you know where Dai went with Wasp and her gang?” I ask him.

“I do know,” my father replies, his expression grave. “Wasp and her companions were created by a renegade geneticist named Ran Kuron, who left the Neptune Project years ago. He has his own twisted vision for human existence in the sea and can't seem to leave us alone to pursue our own vision. He—” He stops short and shakes his head. “But that's a conversation for another time. Some of you are hurt, and you look exhausted. Follow me, and I'll take you inside Safety Harbor.”

He swims around to the stern of his little boat and nimbly climbs aboard. He powers up its electric motor and leads us east. Soon we come to what looks like a wall of bubbles, extending up from the sea floor to the surface. The wall stretches for as far as I can see in either direction, blocking the mouth to an inlet off the strait.

:This is our security system. The bubble wall frightens off sharks and scavenger fish, but trained dolphins have no problems crossing it,:
Janni explains.

:It's so simple, it's brilliant,:
Robry says as he gazes at the perimeter.

We follow Janni's lead through the bubble wall. For a moment, all I can see is a thousand small bubbles right in front of me. They tickle my nose and chin as they flow past my face. Then I'm through the wall, and I pause to take in Safety Harbor.

The community is spread out across a series of steep rock walls dotted with dark cave openings. The walls are covered with red and pink soft corals, yellow sponges, and feathery white plumose anemones. I blink when I realize that dozens of young people wearing fins are darting back and forth among the caves. Dolphins come and go freely.

Suddenly, we're surrounded by grinning kids, some as young as Bria and Robry, and others who look a little older than Penn and Thom.

:Wow, they seem so happy to see us,:
Kalli says.

:We're always glad when more Neptune kids arrive here safely. We all had our own adventures getting here, but we know you came the farthest,:
Janni says to me, and I hear the respect in her tone.

Then she turns to the group gathering around us.
:Don't mob them, you guys,:
she calls out.
:You know we'll have a proper welcome dinner and hear their story tonight.:


The kids give a big cheer, and gradually the crowd surrounding us disperses.

Mariah pokes me gently in the stomach to get my attention.
:now you are safe, we go to meet the other dolphins.:


:We are safe, thanks to you,:
I tell her, and try to project all the love I feel toward her and the pod. She and the rest flash away.

:Are you ready to explore Safety Harbor?:
Janni asks us.

:In just a sec.:
I swim to the surface to find my father watching for me from his boat. He smiles, but then his gaze grows serious as he studies my face. “I'm glad you're finally here, but I think my little girl has grown up a great deal in the past two years.” I hear both pride and a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Are you coming to show us around?”

“I'll be along in a bit, but I need scuba gear to go the places Janni wants to take you.”

As I watch him head toward shore in his little boat, I realize with a pang that my father and I truly live in separate worlds now. When I duck under the water, I see that our two groups are starting to mingle. Ree is talking with Janni, and Robry is clowning around with a younger boy from Janni's patrol. I hang back for a moment, taking in all the kids streaming between the caves.

:It does seem like a lot of people after being on our own for so long.:
Tobin sends me an understanding glance.

:Are you ready to see your new home?:
Janni calls to me.

:I'm more than ready,:
I say, and I realize I'm telling the truth. I smile at her and swim forward to join the others.

WHEN A WRITER
with only a BA degree in history decides to tackle a subject as wonderful and complicated as the sea, she needs LOTS of help. I'm grateful to the many people who gave generously of their time, ideas, and knowledge to help me depict the fascinating underwater world of
The Neptune Project
. First of all, I would like to thank Sue Manion, Fishery Biologist (NOAA), for answering my countless questions about fish and the sea; and her husband, Captain John Manion (NOAA), who made sure I got most of the boat parts right. Ron Dotson, Fishery Biologist (NOAA), graciously helped to explain what would and wouldn't grow on the borders of the sunlit zone in the Channel Islands.

I'm likewise grateful to my science consultants, Cindy and Jamie Gay, who patiently taught me genetics, starting with mitosis and meiosis, and had great ideas about Neptune nutrition. Kristin Gonzalez cheerfully answered a dozen phone calls and e-mails on a crazy variety of science topics, and she helped to dream up c-plankton. Her son Ian Straehley gave me some excellent ideas as to how telepathy would really work. Bill Burton was a brilliant help hypothesizing how lasers would react with water. Thanks to Joe Champ for being my lifetime dive buddy and for gamely sampling with me a daunting range of raw seafood, from eel to sea urchin. Josephie Jackson, thank you for your enthusiasm for the whole Neptune premise; and Dr. David Jackson, thanks for the virus-shot vector and so many good suggestions about Neptune biology. Corinne McCarthy, I so appreciate your making sure I got all the medical stuff right. Sharon Trent, thank you for being such a wonderful listener.

To my readers Lou Ann Bode, Jane Champ, Nolan Crosson, Corinne McCarthy, Bobby and Toby Wright, Sue, John, and Kevin Manion; Alyson, Katie, and Jake McFarland; Pacia Wojcik, Ned Ryan, and Hema Penmetsa—your feedback and enthusiasm kept me going during the nerve-racking wait before the book was acquired. Of course I need to thank the most supportive ole critique group south of the Red River: Robert Eilers, Pam McWilliams, Hillary Ralles, and Joe Chicoskie—your insights made this a much, much better book. Here's a special shout-out to Brenda Quinn, freelance editor extraordinaire, who keeps trying to teach me to use em dashes properly and has hugely improved every story she's edited for me. And thank you, Maria Isabell Cruz, for all your help with Spanish translations.

I'm indebted to the wonderful staff at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Robert Schwemmer, Cultural Resources Coordinator, was terrific about sharing his incredible dive photographs and knowledge; and Laura Francis, Education Coordinator, thank you for answering my questions about the marine life that grows on and in wrecks. Thank you both for the great work you do to protect such a unique natural gem.

I'm grateful to the following women for answering my many questions about dolphin behavior: Mary Stella, Director of Media and Marketing at the Dolphin Research Center; and Julie Richardson and Holli Byerly at Dolphins Plus.

To Cyrus Ghaznavi, emergency software consultant—thank you for being there when I needed you!

I'm grateful to Seth Fishman for his excellent taste in literature, and even more so to my fabulous and kind agent, Doug Stewart. He made my dream of writing for kids come true and manages my energy and enthusiasm with great diplomacy. I'm indebted to Lisa Yoskowitz, my brilliant editor, who probably now knows more about dolphins and giant squid than she ever really wanted to know.

And to the members of my tolerant and loving family, who understand that my cooking gets even worse when I'm writing: you guys are the best!